St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-02-06
IN NOTBOHM'S SALOON.
Officers of the Columbia Association Saw
That Gov. MoGill Made Them
Promises.
The Governor Says he Did Not So Un,
derstand the Conversation at the
Time.
a General Objection Among Property
Owners of st. Paul to the Feat
ureS of the Bil!s
VIII 1t, If 1t Becomes a Law, Cause q
Setback to Building and Real
Estate Dealings

The passage of the high license bill by
the senate was not received with the great
rejoicing and hallelujah with which the
people respond to the enacting of great
measures in their interest. The claim Of
the high license party that the great mass
OF the people were in favor Of
high license was not confirmed.
The feeling yesterday was generally
one of dissatisfaction. While some
grumbled because the license was placed at
such an extreme figure, the general express
sion in business circles was disapproyal of
the passage of the bill at all. It was one OF
the leading topics of conversation every
where. On the streets, i'll the hotel lob
bies and wherever they happened to meet,
groups discussed the question and grunl-
bled at the legislature that had so far over
done the peoples business In real estate
circles particularly was the dissatisfaction
noticeable. Said one prominent realty
holder:
1t is going to throw on the market thou
| sand buildings and properties for whatever
prices can be got, and will demoralize the
| market entirely, am afraid. 1t is no small
matter to ST. Paul or Minneapolis that FIVE or
| six hundred families should be driven out of
a means of livelihood, and their empty homes
! anu pAdCeo VI OUSlueSS OueCeQ TOr sale 1Or
nothing-and that is just what it is going to
amount to. What will the Eastern capitalist
looking for safe investments think of sinking
| his money in City where deserted
stores and dwellings stare him in the
face at every corner? 1t will stiae business
life in every quarter, and the only possible
good will be reaped by few of the richest
saloonkeepers, who viii take in a big harvest
on monopoly created by such an outrageous
law.
Men from other cities and towns in the
state talked in somewhat the same strain.
There are not few small towns and cities
throughout the state of which the home
breweries are the chief life. Should this
bill pass the house and become a law
these small brewerieS will be obliged
to close for lack of customers. The
few saloons which will be able to
pay the license will not buy the
home beer. They do business generally
with the foreign breweries of st. Louis and
Milwaukee, and these will gain an increased
patronage as the business is lost to home
institutions. The farmers who have
had good prices and a steady market for all
the barley they could raise will also be
losers.
GOV. M'GILL.
has put himself on record since election as
favOring the law. although Mr. Notbohm,
president of the Columbia association, saws
that two weeks before election he promised
him that if the society would take no official
part in the campaign he would reward
the inactivity by like neutrality if he
should be elected. Gov. McGill denies that
he entered into such specific agreement,
while the talk that Mr. McGill made was
SO considered by the executive committee
of the Columbia assOciation-Mr. Lauer,
William Hamm and Mr.. Notbahm. The
circumstances under which the talk was
made were learned by a GLOBE reporter
Yesterday. One night McGill walked to
his home in company with prominent citi-
zen, who, although Republican. does not
approve of the high-lcense movement. On
the way. by invitation Of the prominent
citizen. Gov. McGill stepped into Notbohm's
saloon. on WabaSha and Eleventh streets,
to get a glass of beer. The executive COM
mittee of the association was there, and
Joined the round of drinks. Gov. McGilI
felt that his vote in Ramsey county de-
pended largely on the feeling of the associ-
alton, and opened the subject himself Mr..
Notbohm'S version Of the conversation
which followed, corroborated by the rest of
the committee. is as follows:
He came in here and asked our support in
the coming election. I told him we were not
particularly Democrats or Republicans, but
did not want any further discriminating as
regarded the liquor interests. He said in
answer: You will find me perfectly impair
tial. shall not interfere in any way, or
recommend any change of the existing laws
l said: That being the case, we will pass no
resolutions, and let each individual vote as be
pleases. We will be neutral, and ask nothing
except that whoever is elected shall be like
wise impartial On that ground reported
to the association, and no resolutions were
adopted bearing ON the campaign.
THE PRESENT LICENSES.
There has been no little interest and
comment as to the effect of the present bill.
should it become law, on licenses issued
by the city council OH Jan. L. The bill, if
passed as it stands. will take effect July of
this year. There have been many queries
by interested parties as to whether the
licenses issued by the council would hold
for a year, or if it would be necessary to
take out new ones after the date
when the bill goes into effect. At
torneys interviewed by a GLOBE reporter
yesterday said there was no question but
that all present licenses would hold until
the date named in them when they would
expire, also that all licenses issued at any
time prior to July would be good for
year. if issued for that length of time. The
question had been fully tested in Illinois at
the time when the Harper high license bill
went into effect, and it had been decided
that licenses taken out prior to the date
when the Harper law took effect, were not
affected by it.